Mafia Kings: Roberto: Chapter 83

It rained that night. Rain-slicked streets reflected the neon signs up and down the boulevard.

I’d told the security team to let me know when the blue Camry showed up.

I got a call on the walkie-talkie around 2:15 AM. “He’s here.”

I considered very seriously what I was about to do…

And decided it was the best way.

The only way.

My stomach churned as I went to my office and got my purse.

The pistol was inside.

Time to end this.

I put on my trench coat and walked out to the elevators. As I rode down to the lobby, I radioed my head of security. “I’m going out to confront him.”

I could hear the alarm in his voice as he said, “That is NOT a good idea. Let me send some guys with you – ”

“No. He’s harmless.”

“Then why have we been monitoring him every night?”

“Because he’s a nuisance. I do not want you or any of the other security team to interfere – do you understand?”

“Ma’am – ”

“That is a direct order. No matter what you see on the camera feeds, you are not to intervene. I have something planned, and I have it under control. Do you understand?”

“…alright.”

“Thank you.”

I immediately turned off the walkie-talkie.

I exited the elevator in the building lobby. Rather than go out the front door, I took a side exit. Then I crossed the empty street, reached into my purse, and pulled out my gun.

My heart was beating so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest.

It very nearly did when I reached the alley.

I could hear Roberto – or someone – walking towards the street.

I raised my gun and spun around the corner –

It was him.

He wore his normal three-piece suit instead of that ridiculous hoodie.

I felt a jolt of pleasure in seeing him –

Something I definitely hadn’t anticipated.

Something else I didn’t anticipate:

He completely ignored the gun.

Instead, he stared at me like I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

He said something in Italian. I didn’t know what it was, but I could hear the tenderness in his voice –

And I could see the overjoyed smile on his face.

I frowned in confusion.

This was NOT the way I’d thought it would go.

“What are you doing here?” I snapped.

He glanced down at my gun in amusement like it was a toy. “Should you really be showing that in public?”

No, I really shouldn’t, but –

“There’s no one around,” I snapped.

“Will that stop a police car from driving by?” he asked with a slight smile. He pointed at the Camry about 20 feet behind him. “Let’s get in my Uber and talk. It’s dry, and we can – ”

“Are you fucking insane?” I asked, flabbergasted at how nonchalant he was being. “I’m not getting in there with you!”

“If you don’t want to talk in the car, let’s at least step away from the main road so you don’t get arrested.”

Okay…

He did have a point.

But I wasn’t about to go back there where his fucking car could run me over.

“Send the Uber away first,” I demanded.

“Alright,” he agreed sunnily.

It was the weirdest fucking conversation I could have possibly imagined.

Maybe he really was insane.

As we walked towards the Camry, Roberto said humorously, “You might want to hide the gun.”

I shoved the gun inside my trench coat pocket but still kept the barrel aimed at him. “Don’t try anything – I’m still pointing it at you.”

“I gathered,” he replied.

When we reached the car, Roberto gave the driver a bunch of money. After I translated a few things between them, the driver left, leaving us alone in the alleyway.

We stared at each other – me angry, and Roberto looking like he’d never been happier.

“Why are you following me?” I demanded.

That was when my entire world got turned upside down.

“Because I’m in love with you,” he said.

His voice was full of conviction. He meant it.

He also sounded kind – not dangerous or unhinged –

And utterly, overwhelmingly sexy.

He moved closer as he said, “I’ve never felt this way about anyone else. Never. I think about you every moment I’m awake; I dream about you when I sleep. I need you more than the air I breathe. You’re more precious to me than my own life.”

My heart was pounding in my chest –

But it wasn’t from fear.

Well… not the fear of him physically hurting me.

However, I was absolutely terrified he would break my heart again.

And yet…

If I could have him back…

I was almost ready to take that risk.

…almost.

“Stop,” I whispered, pleading.

He didn’t stop.

In fact, he got so close he could have kissed me.

“If you’re going to kill me, then go ahead and do it,” he murmured. “You’d be doing me a favor by putting me out of my misery – because I can’t live without you. I won’t.”

I stared at him.

I could feel my lips quivering.

I wanted him so badly –

And then an unfamiliar voice spoke Cantonese behind me.

“Hey – what’s going on back there?” a man asked in a leering tone.

I whipped around to see three men standing at the head of the alley.

They were all scruffy and dressed shabbily. If I had to guess, I would have said they were junkies or petty thieves – maybe both.

At 2:30 in the morning in this part of town, there were only a few types of people out and about, and these guys weren’t club-goers or customers of De Sade.

As soon as the leader of the pack saw me, he laughed and started approaching.

I knew that look.

I’d seen it in the eyes of dozens of men in De Sade –

And I’d had them all thrown out on their asses.

“Get the fuck out of here!” I yelled at him angrily.

That didn’t deter him at all.

In fact, it only escalated the situation.

He pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and opened it with a click.

At first I thought, My guys are watching this – they’ll be here any second –

But then I remembered the last order I’d given my head of security:

No matter what you see on the camera feeds, you are NOT to intervene.

I have something planned, and I have it under control.

They probably thought this was what I had planned – a little outside muscle to intimidate Roberto.

FUCK.

On the other hand, he only had a knife…

And I had a gun.

Fuck YOU, asshole, I thought angrily as I pulled out my pistol and pointed it at him.

But even though the three punks recoiled –

Even though I had the upper hand by far –

I started to shake.

I’d never personally thrown anyone out of my club before. Big, beefy guys had always done it for me.

I’d bought the gun for protection, but I’d never actually considered what it would mean to fire it.

Yes, I had pointed the pistol at Roberto twice – both in my apartment and here in the alleyway – but I knew, deep down in my heart of hearts, that I never would have pulled the trigger.

Except now…

I might have to.

And it fucking terrified me.

My mind tried to stay calm –

But my body betrayed me.

My entire arm began to shake.

I could see the main asshole’s expression turn from fear to amusement.

He thought I wouldn’t shoot him.

He might be right…

But I couldn’t let him know that.

“I’ll fucking kill you!” I shouted, but I sounded more afraid than threatening.

The asshole just smirked and started walking towards me –

And that’s when Roberto reached over and gently took the gun from my hand.

After a split second of indecision, I let him.

I hated that I wasn’t taking care of this myself –

But part of me was relieved beyond words that he was stepping in to protect me.

Another part of me worried he couldn’t handle it.

He was, after all, a glorified accountant.

Yeah, a mafia accountant… but an accountant nonetheless.

I shouldn’t have worried.

Roberto pointed the gun calmly at the lead asshole, who froze in his tracks. “Balls or head.”

I had not expected those words. I was a little unsure I’d heard him correctly.

“What?”

“Ask him if he wants it in the balls or the head,” Roberto said simply.

I stared at him in shock –

Until he used the Voice.

“ASK him.”

A thrill went up and down my back, and I turned to the thug.

“He told me to ask you, ‘Do you want it in your testicles or your head?’”

The guy looked shocked –

And then he laughed.

He ignored me completely and started shouting at Roberto in Cantonese.

“Fuckin’ pussy – go ahead and try it, you stupid motherfucker!”

Both the street thug and I were shocked beyond words when Roberto calmly pointed the gun between the thug’s feet and pulled the trigger.

BLAM!

I screamed in terror as the gunshot echoed all around us –

But the three thugs screamed even louder.

“What are you doing?!” I yelled at him.

Roberto ignored me and just pointed the gun back at the leader, who looked like he’d shat himself in fear.

“Balls or head?” Roberto asked calmly…

And then lowered the gun so it pointed at the thug’s pants.

The two men in the back ran for it –

And the leader quickly followed them.

Then Roberto turned to me…

And my shock became terror.

I had let a mafioso take away the only piece of power I had –

And now I was utterly helpless.

He must have read my mind because he glanced down at the gun in his hand –

And then he did something I never would have expected:

He offered it back to me.

His hand gripped the barrel so there was no danger to me and held it out.

“If you’re going to kill me,” he said, “get it over with quick.”

I glanced down at the gun, then back at his face.

I was frozen – confused – overwhelmed –

And for reasons I couldn’t quite put into words, incredibly turned on.

Roberto smiled…

Pocketed the gun…

And reached out and kissed me.

I froze for a second as voices screamed in my head.

He’s a gangster!

He’s in the mafia!

He’s everything you said you hated!

But my heart knew the truth:

Roberto – the man he truly was – was everything I wanted.

I gave in and kissed him back.

His warm lips on mine…

His strong arms around me…

They shattered my last bit of resistance.

The dam I’d built around my broken heart burst open, and relief flooded my entire body.

I gave in to him totally and completely…

Until another little voice yelled inside my head.

He just fired a GUN!

I broke off our kiss and said, “We have to get you out of here – someone must have heard the gunshot and called the cops.”

Roberto just grinned like he’d won the lottery. “Let’s go, then.”

I grabbed his hand and we ran across the street through the rain.